and the don't instant -- dominant issue was obama, was the increase in spending, was essentially the expansion of government. or to put it a more abstract and grand way, the relationship between citizen and state which obviously was tilting towards state. so -- and there when the question is put in that way, the country shows itself to be a center-right country. had republicans been able to duplicate those conditions, that framework in 2012, they would have won. but it isn't the same election. 2010 was almost a purely ideological election, perhaps the most ideological since 1980. then you get to 2010 when you have a personality involved, and you have a figure who represents one side. romney is a good man. i like him. i think he's an honorable man. and i think he actually would have made an excellent president but he was a bad candidate, particularly in an election that could have been won had it been an election about ideas and philosophy. i think it would have been easily won had it been about ideas and philosophy. but number one, he wasn't the man, the best man on our side to make